Guardian

by yasha012

I used to want to save existence... I saw it as this beautiful place, capable of fostering life in all of its many forms. A place with the potential to nurture so much Light. But the closer I got to it... the more I fought for it… the better I could see the Darkness waiting within… the evil we would all rather forget. (Part 4 of the Hero series; sequel to "Eternal Shadow Falls".)

148. Love and Pain

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this hard time… especially for the one who is so far removed from his own time.

~保護者~

"Love and Pain"

~保護者~

The environment he awoke within was unfamiliar. Pushing himself up off his stomach, he slowly shifted into a sitting position. The man gradually worked up the energy to move some more and promptly used it up by brushing his hair out of his face. It was long for the back of it to just graze across the collar of his shirt, while in the front his eyes were shadowed and slightly covered by them. With his small action, however, he'd moved his bangs aside enough to be able to see clearly.

What he saw only solidified his earlier assessment. Namely, that he had no idea where he was. None of these plants were familiar to him. He didn't even so much as recognize the type of rock that peppered the dirt around where he sat. Which was utterly strange, given how thoroughly his people had explored their home. It stood to reason, and not just because of that, that this most certainly was not home. So where was it?

After a moment, he climbed to his feet. His hands automatically set to work brushing off his clothes, only to pause mid-motion. This… didn't make sense. He knew this outfit, yes, but it shouldn't have been in-tact, much less unstained. This was what he'd been wearing the day he'd died, executed outside the ruins of his home… his punishment for daring to try and go after his son's abductors. Multiple blades had pierced his skin that day, shredding garments and flesh alike until he'd finally succumbed. And yet here those same clothes were. Here he was. Dirty, but not in the same manner as before. Alive.

Lest he get too wrapped up in his thoughts (he had to find out where he was before doing much else), he resumed brushing himself off. Under the newly acquired thin layer of dirt was a somewhat loose-fitting long-sleeved light grey shirt with a necklace underneath. Black pants covered his legs, accompanied by similarly colored boots. The dirt was less visible on the latter half of the outfit, but he soon stopped caring. There were other things to do.

His exhaustion was curious, but nevertheless he began to walk. Trudging up the hill ahead of him, he found himself stumbling a bit. Then he slipped on the loose dirt and stones, sliding back down on his hands and knees. Had he the energy to, he would have merely jumped up the hill. As things stood now, he had no choice but to try again. This time, he crested the ridge with minimal struggle. Going down the other side wasn't too great of a challenge. It barely even bothered him.

What did bother him was the sight he was met with. ...More hills. Many more. A sigh escaped him. He had just about resigned himself to his fate when he happened to turn his head to the right. There were no hills that way, not passed the single large one that his previous hurdle was apparently attached to. If he had only just stayed atop it, getting over its companion would have been so much easier…

With few other options, he turned fully around and climbed back up the hill he'd just gotten over. Once there, he began carefully making his way up the taller hill. It took some doing, but soon he'd made it to the top. He had only just begun debating how to get down the opposite side (specifically without falling again) when nature unexpectedly said otherwise. Something plowed him over from behind. Whatever it was knocked his legs out from under him, which sent him tumbling and sliding through the dirt and rocks once more.

When he finally managed to catch himself near the bottom of the hill, he quickly looked at where he'd been before. Standing near where he had been seconds earlier was what he could only assume to be some sort of wild animal. It looked just as confused as he felt. Then it shook its broad head with a snort and ran off in a different direction. He contemplated a few swears, but ultimately held his tongue. It was just an animal, after all. It wasn't as though it had knocked him over maliciously.

There was no real point in trying to clean himself off at this stage. He was fairly filthy and that was just how it was going to be. After carefully sliding down the rest of the way toward level ground, he stood again and resumed walking. Things were uneventful for several hours after that point. He mostly wandered through more rocky, open terrain until he worked up the energy to execute a random teleport. While technically unsafe and unwise, his hope was that this would go well. If he was really lucky, he would land near some people. Or at least some sort of a shelter, in the event that he wound up remaining outside come nightfall.

This time, he indeed had some good luck. He landed in what appeared to be an elaborate garden that wrapped around a private courtyard. Beyond the courtyard were pure white steps leading up to the entrance of a grand building. It was unfamiliar, but the architecture most certainly wasn't. He knew it at a glance. Babylonian… through and through. More confused than ever, he carefully began stepping through the delicately manicured plants. Once past them and in the courtyard, he found further traversal to be impossible.

He was delayed at first by a wolf. No more than a mere pup, but it stopped him regardless. This species was also familiar to him. A Babylonian wolf, also known as a Celestial wolf, was here? And not just one, either. More of them appeared, surrounding him and growling a wide variety of warnings. It seemed he was trespassing… and they were none too pleased about it. And, naturally, the pack's intense scrutiny drew guards to his location. They spoke to him rapidly, at first brandishing weapons but soon inexplicably lowering them.

What held his attention was not the weaponry, as strange as one guard's was (what kind of an aura gun even was that?), but instead their words. More accurately, the fact that he didn't understand them. They were speaking Babylonian, but not any form of it that he had ever encountered before in his life. Which made no sense, but he didn't have the time to dwell on it.

The only thing he could do was answer them in the form of Babylonian he knew, a regional dialect local only to the small cluster of far northern villages (and the equally isolated tribe their residents had come from) that he'd lived in for most of his life. "Ei T'alo rei ko. At'lani su fe'ri ka."

As he'd feared, they didn't seem to understand him anymore than he understood them. The puzzled glances they exchanged were proof enough. Still, they sheathed their weapons and lowered their guard. He just wasn't sure why. "Ta'pilei," one guard said, gesturing with a hand for him to stay put. Then, switching languages abruptly, they said, "Wait."

Now that was a word T'alo recognized. He was barely fluent in that language, either, due to the isolated nature of his home, but it was a start. The guard hurried off, jogging up the steps before disappearing inside the palace T'alo had been eyeing before. One of the remaining individuals crossed her arms and asked him curtly, "Who are you?"

It was… strange. He had the sense that he'd once known more of the words he'd just heard than he now did. As things stood now, all he recognized was the final part of the question. Just the "you?" at the very end. From that, he was able to make a reasonable guess as to what she'd asked him. He'd already explained his identity once, but since they hadn't understood he repeated himself. "T'alo." Only belatedly did he recall that he knew the word "are" as well. But nevertheless.

He heard her next words, but understood only a couple of them. "That makes no sense. Names like that are too ancient. They aren't seen outside of historical texts and the like. Where are you from?" Something about his blank expression must have tipped her off, judging by her sigh. "And… you don't understand. Got it."

That, are, you, from, understand, it… Just based on that small handful of words, he couldn't surmise most of her meaning. Though, he thought he might know what her question had been. "Ei kamei Babylonia."

Understanding briefly lit her eyes. "Babylonia?" she repeated. The next question she asked, she asked in both languages she knew. "Sa'ki Babylonia? New Babylon?"

This time, he understood three words. All but "sa'ki". But at least now he could reasonably assume it meant "new". Slowly, he shook his head. "Babylonia," he repeated. Then he carefully echoed her own words, along with an added one. "Not… New Babylon."

"Not possible," the woman replied firmly. "That is not possible."

He was saved from having to try to work out her meaning (though he knew all but the last word this time) when the other guard abruptly appeared beside her again. They traded more rapid words. Several confused glances were thrown his way, followed by just one especially shocked look from the woman. Then he was being ushered inside and rushed toward the stairs. There, he was made to wait again.

The first guard made some offhand comment before leaving T'alo and the woman alone with some other member of palace staff. The pair exchanged yet more words. The person his apparent escort was conversing with looked him up and down with a disapproving stare, but motioned for them to go ahead. He understood the words "teleport" and "permission". And with that, he was whisked away without having actually agreed to anything.

They arrived in a hall. In spite of his dirt-covered clothes, he was made to sit in a lone chair (which looked to have been hastily moved there as opposed to belonging there) and again told to wait. He watched and listened as she slipped into a nearby room and began to talk, leaving the door open behind her. "Sir, I apologize that I've disturbed you, especially now. I'm under orders to bring something… unusual to your attention. A strange man appeared outside, speaking a form of Babylonian none of us know. It isn't modern Babylonian nor, from what I was told, is it the standard ancient dialect. His name isn't, either. Given your own native era, we're hoping you may be able to understand him to some extent."

I, that, now, to, Babylonian, you… None of that helped. What was she talking about? He had no idea, and he didn't particularly like that fact.

"Well, I hope greatly that nobody mistreated him for his apparent inability to speak the universal language. No telling how many people he came across…" Arkiri murmured gently. "Let me speak to him. There is a decent chance that I will understand what he's saying."

"May I leave him in your care, then? I need to return to my post."

"Of course. I may need to take time and derive a device to translate his words for him at some point…" he mused, thinking things over as he motioned for them to go. She led the way out into the hall before bidding him a swift farewell and disappearing down the stairs. T'alo watched her go in silence, then looked at Arkiri with a vaguely confused frown. Arkiri gave a gentle smile and activated one of his powers, allowing his words in the universal language to be understood by T'alo. To his perception, it would sound like his own native language, assuming it was one Arkiri knew. "Hello to you. I am aware that you speak an ancient dialect, correct?"

Relieved to finally hear full sentences that he could understand, T'alo was quick to reply. When he spoke, the words were seamlessly translated into the Universal Language in Arkiri's perception, further proving that the language T'alo spoke was one Arkri knew. "The satav'i dialect. From the north."

"It has been so long since I was among those who spoke such a dialect," Arkiri said. "I am incredibly honored to meet yet another person who speaks it."

T'alo looked Arkiri over for a few seconds before asking, "Who are you? You are not from the tribe, or our villages." He frowned again. "And what did she mean by 'New' Babylon?"

"My name is Arkiri. In the time before I passed, I was a researcher. I made it my life's mission to actively search out and learn as much about our world and the universe we live in," the owl explained lightly. "The explanation about 'New' Babylon is a difficult one… as I am not entirely aware of it myself. I have done some research on the matter, but it may well be best to talk to another about it sometime soon."

Part of what Arkiri said really caught his attention. T'alo stiffened for a second before softly demanding. "Dead? You were dead?" If that was so, did this man have answers as to how he was no longer very much the same way?

Arkiri nodded slowly to him. "Yes. I was ambushed by Therians while I was exploring and was ultimately killed."

T'alo almost scowled, but settled on just turning his head away. "I was executed during a raid. I fought back. The punishment was death."

"What has once happened cannot be changed," Arkiri said with a light shrug. "Instead, let us focus on other matters. Would you prefer to change clothes? I see that you have had quite the expedition of your own."

With the motion of a hand, T'alo waved him off. "I will find something on my own when I leave this place. I do not have plans to stay long." Realistically, he doubted anyone here would have any attire he would find comfortable, anyway. Not if he'd been dead for so long that knowledge of his tribe appeared to have been mostly lost or forgotten. That had to mean knowledge of their clothing was gone as well. It was true that he was wearing city clothes currently, but it wasn't often that he did so.

"I would much prefer you stay. In fact, I believe I know where we may be able to procure clothing that would suit you," Arkiri answered. "Kath may be a touch upset about lending his clothes out, but I am sure that he would understand."

T'alo utterly froze for a long moment. When he finally forced himself to react, he did so by quickly turning back to face Arkiri and sharply demanding, "Kath?"

Arkiri blinked once at this reaction before nodding in a slow manner. "Yes. That is indeed what I said."

Voice becoming strained, T'alo demanded further, "You know him? He… He is alive?" Already, his thoughts and heart were racing, desperate for this to be confirmed. He had to hear it. He had to. Kath is alive... He is alive?

"...How do you know him?" Arkiri dared to ask gently. "Are you related?"

Drawing in a mildly steadying breath, T'alo explained in a bit of a rush, "My son. He is my son. When they took him, I… I thought he was to be killed, alongside the other children. I died before I could save him. I thought…" He trailed off, shaking his head as though that would somehow prevent the rest of him from shaking.

"Come with me," Arkiri said immediately, leaving no room for argument as he walked back into the room and motioned for T'alo to join him. "I will take you to see him."

T'alo gathered himself as much as possible and walked in after him, almost instinctively searching for an aura he now knew to be hidden. He stopped just inside the doorway, freezing anew at the sight of his now grown son laying still atop a bed. Azerel was there, too, somehow… and in rare form the wolf perked up and barked an enthusiastic greeting at him. That would normally have earned some kind of a reaction (he'd always had a soft spot for wolves, especially this one), but T'alo was far too focused on another matter. "Is he injured?"

"Not incredibly so," Arkiri murmured. "There is another matter at hand, but I still do not have all of the details. He was brought to us in this state, and we have simply been watching over him." The owl motioned gently to Tarin to explain who 'we' was referring to.

Tarin, as she was motioned to, gave a gentle nod of greeting as she said, "It is nice to meet you." Rather than leave T'alo to be confused, Arkiri was quick to translate it to him. T'alo offered the barest of nods in reply, still largely focused on Kath. He listened in silence as Tarin's identity was explained and then translated, but offered no comment.

Arkiri frowned a little in Kath's direction. "If I am able, I will speak to my grandson sometime soon. He brought Kath back here, so he may well know more of what happened. I will make sure to inform you as quickly as possible."

T'alo nodded again, more slowly this time. Before he could reply, Azerel laid his head back down on Kath's leg and stated plainly for all to hear, "I know what happened. I searched his memories." The wolf sighed audibly. "It is not pleasant news." That he kept this reveal brief was unsurprising. Maintaining such a broad mental connection was outside of the range of normal abilities for wolves such as himself. It was doable, but a bit taxing on the mind and one's energy. Hence why it was so rarely done.

"Well… what happened?" Arkiri asked gently.

Azerel glanced at T'alo. Seemingly just for his benefit, he began with an explanation. Still, as with before, he didn't let his words drag on. Merely said what needed to be said before ending the connection until it was his turn to speak again. "The ancient rumors of an Immortal killer have been proven true. It is not a group doing it, but rather an individual. She kills them and steals their abilities. She also possesses powers of her own, one of which allows her to utterly corrupt those of her choosing." He closed his eyes, almost appearing to scowl. "...As well as command them. Those she 'takes' are loyal to their core, and only to her. They are unable to be any other way. That is what she has done to him. He has been taken."

"Then we are not safe," Tarin immediately said. "I may know little about 'Immortals', but if this individual can make him loyal to her alone, then what chance do we have if she turns him on us?"

"None," Azerel confirmed, tone grim. "I insist he remain here while he recovers, but once he is in good health… He will have to be taken elsewhere for the sake of all those around him."

Arkiri openly frowned for a moment before nodding. "That… is certainly true. We cannot ignore his health, even if he may harm us. I would never wish to do anything otherwise."

Fighting to retain his usual level of calm, T'alo closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath. "There is… nothing that can be done?" Surely there must have been something… Surely?

"For now… I do not believe it can be us. Someone who possesses this power must be able to set their control in deep. I would fear the chance of making it worse if we attempted to act. I will need to make contact with others far more quickly, it seems," Arkiri murmured.

"Seek out Jet," Azerel commanded. "He is Kath's best hope… assuming he can remain himself long enough to lend a hand."

"I will do everything in my power," Arkiri promised immediately.

Directing his attention to T'alo again, Azerel added, "For now, it is safe to stay with him. I, for one, have no intention of forcing you to be elsewhere right now." Using some of his kind's latent magic, he pulled the chair from Kath's desk and moved it beside the bed, then all but dragged T'alo over to sit in it. He spoke next as one parent to another, drawing on his own experiences with fatherhood to formulate his words. This reminded him far too much of his vigil over his two daughters when they had been early-born pups, seemingly destined to perish before night's end. "Stay," he murmured, closing his eyes. "You will worry regardless, but it will be harder if you're not by his side."

Arkiri nodded gently. "I will be going to seek out help. If you require any sort of aid, I or Tarin would be more than happy to provide what we can. Azerel will likely help, in his own way, as well."

For a long moment, T'alo was silent. When he finally found his voice again, it was soft. "I need nothing. Only knowledge that something is being done for him." He did not survive whatever hells he endured just to end up like this. This is not what he deserves. This is not what I wanted for him.

"I understand, but do know that there often comes a time when a person must tend to their own needs," Arkiri reminded. "You were just returned to life. You will need rest."

T'alo shook his head, firm in his refusal. "I am fine," was all he said.

All this earned was a shrug from Arkiri before he began to leave. "I will return when I have gained contact with someone who can help, or has a plan." T'alo inclined his head to signify his understanding, but said nothing more. There was nothing left to say.

~保護者~

He'd been sitting around for close to an hour. After Zareil had teleported him away, Marthal had found himself in some sort of a citadel, alone in a throne room. With nothing better to do, he'd busied himself with acclimating to the newfound energies flowing through him. Once things felt more settled, he'd switched his focus to further examining the weapon Ylden had given him. Then he'd both heard (albeit only through one ear) and smelled Zareil's return with Steam. The latter had left. She had remained.

Closing his eyes again, he shifted on the floor and leaned his head back against a wall. "He's going to come, you know," he called out eventually. "Ylden, that is. Doubt he'll accomplish much by it, but he'll be hellbent on coming here and fighting you." He didn't say this as a threat to her. As he'd said, he doubted Ylden would accomplish much beyond having said fight and then probably leaving. It was more of a warning that she needed to be on her guard still. When he comes, it'll be via teleport. Meaning it'll be sudden.

"What does it matter? He will gain nothing from an encounter with me," Zareil muttered. "There's nothing for him here. At least, nothing I'll allow him to have."

"He's stronger than he's shown you," Marthal said. "Ever consider that there might be a reason why Kaden insisted on fighting the guy personally instead of letting you handle it?"

The idea almost visibly troubled her, but she masked the concern by crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Continue."

The yokai huffed irritably. "Heard rumors he had to make a promise in the past not to go wild with his anger and crap for some reason. Really think he'll keep that promise now?"

Zareil closed her eyes for a moment as she thought this over. Kaden had always dealt with people like Ylden himself, never allowing her to get involved. The idea that they were that powerful disturbed her. "Should he appear, you will leave. You are not to be caught by him."

"Fine. And if he shows up right where I fucking am?" Marthal frowned at her. "I can't exactly fend him off."

"Leave again. I don't think he will, though, if what you said is true," Zareil pointed out. "He will likely solely target me, especially once he sees the level of corruption in you."

"Fine," Marthal said again. "Whatever."

Marthal was correct to assume it would happen all of a sudden. A massive wave of magic crashed through the citadel and launched Zareil off into the distance. Marthal stood immediately and, with a small scowl, teleported away in a burst of flame. Rather than allow it to be salvaged, Ylden loosed another wave of magic to wipe the citadel away entirely, reducing it to nothing more than rubble. He hadn't yet tapped into his Darkness, but his eyes were pitch black and glowing with the uncontrolled magic flowing within him.

Zareil attempted to approach and she was rebuffed completely by a wall of magic, one that slammed into her with abandon. It forced her back despite her every attempt to forge ahead, and only teleporting away from it protected her from the seemingly unshakeable force. She appeared behind him and lashed out with her axe, but ultimately got parried by Ylden's scythe.

"Ultima Voto." Magic surged through the area and slaughtered any unfortunate, weaker demons while holding Zareil in place long enough for Ylden to float over to her. While she couldn't move, and despite her attempts to use the power that should keep him from moving, Ylden gripped her by the throat and whispered a few choice words. "You will pay. Those were my children."

He didn't care that she broke free and kicked him away. Ylden was beyond feeling pain at the moment. The two clashed with such ferocity that the air crackled with the might of their Darkness and magic, yet Ylden remained surprisingly… Calm? No… that's not it. There's rage boiling.

Her thought train didn't continue far beyond that as he began speaking again. "I will show to everyone what happens when you touch my children!" She tried to defend herself, but the words spilled out. "Omnes Ave perditionem devorans." The column of magic crashed over her and ripped a massive hole in the ground, relentlessly tearing into and at her skin. Just as she thought it was all over, the words were repeated. The earth was gouged by the several castings of this one destructive spell, and she was caught in the midst of them all.

The magic eventually receded and Zareil shakily stood and reclaimed her axe, breathing heavily. She was bleeding… everywhere. Something inside of her said he was only slightly holding back… just enough to not kill her. She only knew because that's what she liked doing. Her eyes widened as he waved his hand in front of him and created an utterly massive wall of magic that would prevent either of them from simply leaving. There were no demons nearby to consume, but she didn't need it.

Ylden didn't get a proper chance to react, Zareil's axe suddenly cleaving into his left arm (the arm he predominantly casted magic with) and sending him tumbling against the wall. His holding back had given her the best chance she had to retaliate, and she abused it. Every moment she had to get back at him for all the damage, the pain, and destruction he had caused was taken. Massive lacerations, deep set bruises, and spilt blood covered Ylden's body.

All of this only further served to prove what Zareil was in his eyes. A beast. A lowly beast that deserved to be put in her place. Ylden shifted his wrist against her weapon and redirected it around him, letting it crash into a hole he created in his wall. It closed around the axe and held it firmly in place as he used his magic to snatch her out of the air and slam her into the ground. Over and over he bashed her body into the earth below, and only did his anger grow as he continued. He would give her this, she was resilient. But so was he, and he had more to lose than she did.

It wasn't something he did lightly. This was his word he was breaking, but the sight of Armaris's demon form beginning to turn to attack her allies… The brief sight of Marthal corrupted… That was why he did this. He wouldn't abandon them again, and he surely wouldn't let someone take them from him without a fight.

"Die," Ylden spat, flattening everything below him with his magic. It didn't achieve the desired effect, so he lifted the veil and discovered that Zareil wasn't there at all. Further inspection revealed that his wall was gone as well. Then he felt it, a blazing red energy pointed in his direction.

"Ylden, stop," Cere firmly demanded. "As Goddess of Judgement, I command that you stand down and release your magic."

Ylden watched her for a long moment. She meant it, and that pissed him off. So much more than he dared to admit. He raised his hand and her Hexan magic met his own Darkness Magic, leaving behind only a massive explosion. Neither budged in their stance, and he ultimately muttered, "Get out of my way. I won't kill you, but I will hurt you if I have to."

"You won't do a damn thing," Cere responded harshly. "You're out of your mind if you think that any of this is helping! We spoke directly about the fact that we are not allowed to kill her for Kaden's sake! Not only that, but you are acting outrageously! Do you understand the implications of the damage you've caused?!" she demanded. "I'm under the assumption that you're acting on ignorance."

"They are my children!" Ylden snapped. "Marthal and Armaris were directly affected by Zareil and I'm finished being a poor father to them both. I will let nothing bring further harm to them if I can stop it."

"Armaris is my kid too, dammit!" Cere responded in kind. "But I came here from the fight to stop your foolish endeavor to get revenge! Stand down now or I will be forced to resort to casting Judgement upon you."

The harsh words didn't get to leave his mouth as he crashed into the ground with the resounding crackling of energy crashing into and through him. All at once his magic was banished and his Darkness abated, and this all brought no small amount of pain. Had he been using more of his Darkness, it may have brought him far closer to death. She knew that.

The gentle touch of the Goddess on his shoulders brought him pause. He hadn't expected such an action after all that just happened, much less her helping him to stand. Casting this sort of judgement carried no small amount of exertion on her as well, and she seemed fairly tired. "I will allow you to see Marthal briefly. Then we will return you to Mobius where you will be healed. Is that understood?" He could only really nod in response, mutely leaning onto her as she teleported them both to Marthal's location.

The yokai had chosen a spot entirely at random. He was about midway down a cliff-face, just off to the side of a massive lava fall. His legs dangled off the ledge he had seated himself up, and his staff had been set aside for a moment. This was because he was using his hands to fiddle with his hearing aid yet again. However, he was quick to put it back in and stand when he smelled their arrival nearby.

Cere spoke up immediately. "We're here for a moment, and only a moment. I came to show him that you are okay. We don't have the energy to attempt to contain you."

Ignoring her, Marthal flashed Ylden a harsh glare. "Fuck off, old man," he muttered, gathering his weapon. He dropped down to a lower ledge, searching for further ways down. Since he really didn't know this place (he only happened upon this location by accident) he couldn't very well teleport around safely. Which left methods like this.

"I'll be back soon," Ylden murmured. "I'm not leaving you like this." It was all he could do to keep his head up at this point, eyes fluttering closed. "I'll bring you back…" Marthal only scoffed and dropped further down. He was beyond listening at this point.

Cere let out a gentle sigh and pulled Ylden closer to her body, teleporting away. Throughout the entire process of getting him to someone that could heal him, she was thoroughly confused by how deep the corruption seemed to have gone for Marthal. It was when, and only when, she realized what his heritage was that it made any form of sense.

The yokai are a form of demon… Wild, powerful, and animalistic, and incredibly ancient. Normally they wouldn't serve someone like Zareil, but now that he's been fully corrupted by her, that makes it a wholly different story. The Hexan left Mobius after mentally assuring herself that Armaris would be fine now, returning to the home that she had made oh-so-many years ago. It had long since been used, but at least it would always be clean due to magic.

Usually they would've been more of a problem on Mobius, but the continued hunting of their kind by the Light tribes eons ago likely pushed them to begin ignoring other 'civilized' people rather than attacking them. I don't blame them for hunting the yokai, but there always comes a point where it all becomes too much. The yokai commonly would massacre and destroy villages, but there are certainly plenty that are good or at least neutral. And they were brought to the brink of extinction indiscrimately.

As Cere inscribed this all in a book she took from one of her shelves, the woman frowned. If Zareil took interest in him, she certainly sees a well of power that not many of us know. This could mean trouble if we do not act quickly.

~保護者~

Normally, once Tails was focused on his work it was virtually impossible to pull him away from it. The only thing that could do so easily (aside from intervention from someone like Amy) was other work. That was never more true than now. He was busy mending some minor wiring within the Tornado-Z when a nearby piece of machinery pinged. Oh! It's done! Pulling away from this task, he quickly moved toward the source of the noise.

Once there, he checked the sample he'd left within a glass case before typing rapidly on the attached computer. "Hey, Wery," he called out, eyes never leaving the screen. "I'm about to get some results back on a DNA sample I took from Shadow. Want to take a look?" He paused, thought, then felt the need to clarify, "...Took with permission, of course, last time he was here. I've never done a test on his DNA before since I trusted the fragmented bits of data I found from Gerald, but I've found evidence that the whole 'halfling' thing Gerald wrote about might have been from some other experiment. Shadow's said before that there were others before Gerald believed he'd 'perfected' things with him. He used the same two DNA sets, but at different ratios. And then they all died for various reasons, and Gerald kept the notes." His fingers resumed typing. "Anyway, I got curious and finally ran some tests. Want to see what this brings up?"

Wery motioned for him to continue. "Let's see it, then. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check this all out, after all."

"Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping you'd be as interested as I am," Tails chuckled. The results appeared on his screen a second or two later. "That's weird. They aren't entirely conclusive, but…" He trailed off. His eyes soon widened. "Anywhere from eighty-eight to ninety-two percent Black Arms? No way…"

"...Wouldn't that make sense, though? He'd have had way more access to Black Arms DNA than his hedgehog father, if I'm not mistaken… probably. There's more Black Arms, obviously," Wery chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"I know, I know," Tails was quick to reply, "but there's way more to this than just us mistakenly… Anyway, let me explain a bit more. See, Gerald tried using high levels of Black Arms DNA in other experiments, but they weren't viable. Every single one of those 'test-tube babies' died. He wrote himself that he didn't think Black Arms young could survive being born in such a way. Which is why I don't understand how he managed this."

Wery frowned a bit at this, tapping her fingers against the table she was sitting at for a moment. "That is odd, but is there anything else unusual about it?"

"Not necessarily, but it does explain a few things," Tails admitted. "Like why he took so well after Black Arms personality traits even as an infant prior to being socialized in that environment, as opposed to a mix of that and Tokarian. Plus he adapted almost perfectly to their lifestyle, such as surviving on blood as sustenance and whatnot, which no Tokarian can do. Not to mention the fact that he basically only has Tokarian characteristics on the outside, as his appearance. Nearly everything else is Black Arms."

"What I find interesting is how well he adapted to being in a body that doesn't coincide with the majority of what he is," Wery said. "Like you said, nearly everything else is Black Arms."

"I know, it's strange," Tails agreed. "My best guess is that Gerald's tampering is the only reason why that was able to happen."

Wery nodded a little, then tapped at her chin a few times. "It's really weird how he managed that. People today would be challenged to do something even remotely like what he did… and he took it so many steps further."

"Not to mention the fact that he accomplished this stuff in an era where, for most of the world, technology beyond basic light bulbs and such was viewed in the same light as magic," Tails mumbled. "I still struggle to understand how he did most of the stuff he did. Shadow gets it because he was there, but for an outsider looking in it's extremely tricky. Especially since most of what Gerald did, he did in the grips of madness. So not everything can make much sense to anyone else."

"I suppose wondering too much about that isn't really getting us anywhere, though," Wery said with pursed lips. "Is there anything else on these results you find noteworthy?"

Tails shook his head. "My brain keeps getting stuck on the how of all this, mainly the creation part. I just keep thinking that there's something obvious that I'm missing in regards to how Gerald actually managed to make Shadow be born in the first place."

Wery frowned as she tapped away on her tablet for a moment. "I… I really don't know."

He thought hard for just a few moments before something just clicked. Eyes wide anew, he asked slowly, "Hey, Wery… shared DNA or not, wouldn't it be abnormal for a contributor of said DNA to be automatically protective of the child that was created the way we assumed Shadow was?"

"...Actually yeah. There are plenty of animals that wouldn't see it as their child, for one thing… At least on Mobius," Wery answered.

"But we've seen those videos," Tails reminded her quickly. "We saw how Black Doom interacted with Shadow, and his response to threats against Shadow."

"Mhm. He was openly protective of Shadow," Wery agreed easily.

"Do you see where I'm going with this?" Tails asked, tone all serious. "If I'm not barking up the wrong tree, then Black Doom must have had something to do with this. Though, given his general reaction to Gerald based on what we saw, I think we can assume that he didn't intend to be involved."

Wery frowned more openly. "I get where you're going, and I'm not sure I like the implications."

"Me either," was the sighed response. "But Gerald was certifiably insane back then. I don't doubt that he was capable of doing something like that if he'd really wanted to. And he was desperate enough for a living weapon that he very well could have wanted to."

"It may also help explain the level of hostility that Black Doom showed toward Gerald," Wery added. "You may well be onto something."

"If this is all correct… then it's possible we may have just discovered a powerful new ally," Tails suddenly said. "Gerald is against us in this war. Shadow is very much on our side. If Black Doom is really back like we've heard, he and his hive might just be willing to join the war for the sake of taking down Gerald and keeping Shadow safe."

Wery nodded quickly to Tails. "That's true… but how could we even speak to Black Doom? I doubt they take well to other species…"

"If he approaches us first, which he might," Tails answered, "he'll go to Shadow specifically. Shadow may very well convince him to join us even without trying to. As soon as Black Doom gets wind of the fact that Shadow's been tormented so much, it'll probably be harder to convince him not to do his part to help."

"I… really hope that it works out that way," Wery said with a small smile. "More allies would be really helpful."

"And we would sure get a lot of allies from the hive," Tails agreed. "There's close to a million of them, I believe, though naturally not all of them are supremely powerful. And that's even after their ranks were decimated in the past by things like Malevolence."

Wery blinked once and nodded slowly at this. "I see. That is uh… definitely a lot."

"Yeah, but… not as many as there are demons," Tails admitted. "And we don't even know how many people make up Nareish's armies. But still, this would be an important start."

"Always gotta have some sort of start, yeah?" Wery said with a small smile. "Gets us somewhere, especially since we just purified the God of Demons, yeah?"

"Definitely, yeah." Tails shut off his screen and stood up. "Anyway… I'm going to go ahead and get back to work on the ship. I'll try to talk to Shadow later on about all of this."

Wery nodded easily and turned her attention to her tablet. "Let me know if you need help. Gonna set up a mass message about the results of everything that happened with Toru, then I'll be completely free." Tossing a smile her way, Tails went off to resume his work.

~保護者~

"Hey, Silver! Get your furry butt over here!"

This mental call had Silver on his feet in a flash. It wasn't often that other people reached out to him mentally as opposed to the other way around. He blinked a couple of times in surprise. Huh. And it was Wave, too. Hard to read too much from such a short-lived connection, but it kinda felt like her mental abilities have improved. Slowly, he smiled. That's great news.

Blaze was seated to his left on a couch in Tails's living room. The same couch Silver had also been sitting on seconds prior. His concentration on the battle had been imperative so as to keep Iblis restrained. She had been there to offer silent support and to keep his spirits up. Now that that concentration was obviously broken, she looked up at him with no small amount of concern. "Is everything alright?" she asked quickly. "What happened?"

He sat back down and took her hands into his, equal parts teary and smiley. "They did it, Blaze. Gramps is… He's him again. Gramma even wiped out Iblis for us. Just, whoosh! And it was gone!"

Slowly, she grew a smile to match his own. "That is wonderful news," she murmured.

"No kidding!" Silver enthused. Then reality set back in again and his smile faded. "Some less-than-stellar things happened too, though. I had to focus so much on what I was doing that I couldn't risk paying attention, but… it felt like people were getting corrupted. Not a lot of people, though. Maybe one or two."

Now Blaze was frowning. Already, he missed her smile, her happiness. "Were you able to discern who it was?"

"That's just it. I could have figured it out if I'd concentrated on them, but I couldn't." Silver sighed heavily. "We're going to have to wait for news from the others."

"I understand." Blaze looked ready to continue, but stopped when they sensed a sudden arrival in the workshop. "I believe that would be Tails and Wery."

"Guess so." Silver listened closely for a moment. "Sounds like something's not right with the Tornado. They must've taken a hit, based on what they're saying. Maybe even several."

"It is possible that they may need to do urgent repairs, then," Blaze mused. She thought for just a second before stating, "I will ask them for any details they have regarding possible corruptions once they have finished."

"That actually works out great. See, the reason I jumped up is 'cause Wave called me a minute ago. Kinda surprised me, to be honest." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "She wants me to go to her for some reason. Sounded a bit excited."

There was that smile he'd been missing. "Alright. Go see what is going on. Let me know if it is anything important."

"I will, don't worry. See you later." Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he stood again and teleported to where Wave was waiting. Waiting… with a… creature on her shoulder? "Uh… Huh?"

Wave almost snickered at him, but not quite. "Long story short, a new existential energy came to be and one being was born with the energy that embodies it. Just like Zenith and Eona with Darkness and Light. You following?" Silver nodded slowly. "Great. So, Silver, meet the Aether. Aether, this is Silver. I get the feeling you two will like each other."

Hearing this, Silver blinked once. Then he blinked again. He blinked a third time just to be sure he wasn't imagining this. Once he'd made that determination, he lifted a hand in greeting. "Uh… okay. Sure. So, hi. I'm Silver."

The being ecstatically waved at him with one of its legs from Wave's shoulder. "Hiya! Nice to meet you!"

Silver gave a lopsided grin. "Same to you. All confusion aside on my part, you seem pretty nice."

The Aether jumped off of Wave's shoulder and grew to a slightly more normal size, roughly the same height as Silver himself. "I try to be." Despite it obviously having taken the form of some sort of creature (possibly a mix of several?), the goofy grin on its face was practically unmistakable. Suddenly, it appeared to grow serious and leaned in close. "What's your favorite color?"

He thought for a moment. "If I had to pick just one, I guess it'd be gold. But white is a real close second."

"Almost yellow. Good enough for me!" It plopped down on the ground with a bright smile. "Mine is yellow." Silver nodded with a small chuckle. The Aether suddenly looked back at Wave. "So… uh… what am I supposed to do?"

"Make conversation," Wave declared easily. "You did it just fine with me. Granted, you mostly asked me questions, but still."

"Everything I said with you had some sort of specific purpose though!" it protested. "I had to see if I could bond with you properly."

"You're a curious sort," Wave shrugged. "Ask questions because you want to know the answers, not just because they're useful in some way. It's a good way to learn."

"I don't mind it," Silver helpfully added. "If you want to, at least."

The Aether nodded slowly with an agape mouth. "Woah. Never thought of that." Silver properly laughed this time, more than a little amused by this exchange so far. The Aether suddenly disappeared in a blur and came back seconds later, soaking wet. "What's that really big body of water super far from here?"

"Oh, that's the ocean," Silver answered. "It's not really that far, though. We're close to a village named Hyale, and it's only a couple of miles from the water. At least, I think."

Once more it gave a slow nod in response before rapidly shaking its body to toss off the water from it, letting it all float in the air around them before vanishing. "What's the ocean for?"

"I mean… it's not for anything. It's natural." Silver scratched behind an ear thoughtfully. "A lot of fish and other creatures live there. Some people, like the people who live in these mountains, use the ocean to find food. You can also use the ocean to travel, if you have a boat. But mostly it's a home for plants and animals."

"Plants can grow underwater?" the Aether asked incredulously, obviously very interested in this fact. "That's so cool!"

"Not the same kind of plants you can see on land, but yeah," Silver agreed, smiling. "Like, there are trees all over the place around here, but underwater you won't find any. For example. But other kinds grow, like seaweed and such."

The Aether looked in the direction it had run off. "I've got a lot to learn about existence as a whole…"

"Don't worry too much," Wave said. "We'll help you out. And you've got plenty of time."

"I gotta keep up with my sibling though," the Aether answered. "It's been around for a while. Not as long as like, our parents, but the idea is there. I gotta find a way to catch up…"

Now Silver was confused again. "Uh… what? Parents? Sibling?"

"Oh! Me and the Void are kinda like siblings, in a way. We were both made from Light and Darkness. I'm a bit more Light and the Void is more Darkness, if that makes sense," the Aether answered.

Golden eyes widened a little. "Whoa… So, wait, doesn't that mean that you're kinda-sorta related to Zenith and Eona?"

It nodded easily. "Mhm! Oh my gosh I met my dad! And half-sister! I didn't even bring it up!" The Aether seemed to panic, suddenly tapping its feet against the ground quickly while trying to come to terms with all of this. "Oh gosh how did I completely miss that?"

"You'll see them again," Wave soothed. "It'll be alright."

Silver, meanwhile, came to an entirely different conclusion. "Wait, hold up! Do you know what this means?" He was grinning now. "You're technically related to me and my family!"

"Oh my gosh!" The Aether couldn't handle its own excitement and practically tackled Silver. "That's so cool!"

The hedgehog let out an oof! sound, but otherwise was unfazed. "No kidding!" He laughed again. "See, my grandma is descended from Eona, and my grandpa is descended from Zenith. They got married and had a kid, and that kid was my dad! So I guess our family has a new member now!"

"Yes!" It leapt off him and pranced around happily, tip-tapping its feet on the ground. "This is an amazing day! First I make a bond with Wave and then discover I have a family!"

"It can get better," Silver offered. "My dad seems to be kinda busy, but my uncle probably isn't. Wanna go meet him, and then when things calm down some more meet the others?"

It paused briefly and tilted its head at Silver. "Will he actually take well to me being around?"

This earned a shrug. "It's kinda hit or miss with him sometimes, honestly. But, in my opinion, having some company might do him some good, even if we don't stay long. He's been having a rough time lately."

"I'm not sure how I'd feel in his position," the Aether said. "Oh! He's also got a king and queen in his home! Three kids… and there's this one chameleon guy that's coming and going a lot."

Wave's eyebrows raised. "You can sense all of that from here?"

The Aether nodded quickly. "Mhm. The chameleon is… similar to that other one we just tried to help. Toru? Oh! His name is Caer! Can't believe I missed that."

"Wait, Toru?" Silver asked quickly. "Is he okay? Did something happen to him?"

"Zareil got to him," The Aether said with a note of sadness entering its voice. "He's corrupted, but I've freed him from her control."

"Oh, man. That's… really, really bad." Silver bit his lip in worry, caught himself, and stopped. "See… Toru and Uncle Shadow aren't exactly a couple or anything, but they like each other a lot. They've gotten really close really fast. He won't… take this news well."

"I'm beginning to think that we don't pick up on all the same stuff," the Aether suddenly murmured. "Feels like I'm noticing a lot more? Is that normal?"

"Normal for you, maybe?" Silver shrugged. "I have no idea. You'll understand soon enough that 'normal' doesn't mean much for a lot of people."

The Aether shrugged a little. "Well, Shadow already knows. So… let's go see him! Some company would probably do him some good!"

Deciding it was better not to try and understand how the Aether knew that, Silver just nodded. "Yeah… okay. Sure. Let's go." He teleported away. Wave shrugged, deciding to just roll with it all, and followed suit.

"Oh… I was gonna see if they wanted to ride on my back." It seemed dejected before suddenly perking up and disappearing to catch up to them.

~保護者~

All he could hope was that his experimental new sword would hold up under pressure.

As he ran toward his childhood friend, Espio found himself thinking again and again of all the ways this could go wrong. He wouldn't truly hurt Toru, could never bring himself to do such a thing, but it was foolish to believe he would be afforded the same restraint. It was far more likely that he would walk away from this fight with far greater injuries. That was inconsequential. He would heal. He would survive. But Toru would do everything in his power to prevent either of those outcomes. Extreme caution was required.

Cutting a shortcut through the trees, Espio readied himself to head Toru off. There was a good chance that Toru would attack the instant Espio showed himself. That was something he had to be prepared for. Prepared, but unafraid. Shinobi did not show fear. He didn't even feel it. Concern, yes, but not fear. But this was one fight he certainly felt no thrill over. How could he? This was one person he hadn't ever wanted to genuinely fight.

Now or never. Shinobi didn't hesitate. Tightening his grip on his sword, he darted into Toru's path. A hard kick to the abdomen was enough to send the other chameleon skidding back, effectively stopping his travels. At least for now. "That is far enough," he murmured, lowering his leg. "You will go no further."

"Out of my way," Toru bit out, hand gripping the handle of his blade. "Fuck off."

"No." Espio gave his sword an experimental twirl. "I am staying, and so are you."

"Once more," Toru warned harshly, "out of my way. I'm leaving."

In contrast, Espio's voice was calm. "You are not. I will only continue to bar your way."

This time Toru didn't hesitate like he had been for the past few moments. Darkness shattered the ground around them and erupted toward other chameleon rapidly dodged to the side, avoiding the majority of the attack and blocking the remaining debris with his own Darkness. He was quick to follow up with an attack of his own, one that didn't further utilize his Darkness. Several hard kicks were sufficient to knock Toru back again, but Espio was still avoiding doing Toru any real harm.

"Are you going to keep holding back?" Toru asked, narrowing his eyes. "If that's your plan, this isn't going to go well for you."

"The alternative is… you die." Espio looked at Toru expressionlessly. "Which would you prefer?"

"You wouldn't kill me," Toru countered. "Don't even try that."

For just a moment, Espio's personality shifted and his own eyes narrowed. "You assume much to think that I would stay my hand for your sake."

Toru gripped his sword tighter and blinked when it shattered in his grip. He could feel his Darkness reacting to Espio's, as well as his concerning mental state, so he simply let it flow. The onyx chameleon snapped his fingers and let the area around him explode violently before rushing at Espio with a blade of Darkness formed in hand.

Espio came back to himself in time to not fully retaliate, opting instead to merely defend himself against the attacks with his own sword. All he could really hope to do in this scenario was stall Toru long enough for someone who could actually help to arrive. If he could do so without harming the other shinobi, then he would. Toru, however, didn't give the same sort of reservation, slashing away until he found his opportunity to activate the power he stole from Zareil once more.

This froze Espio in place, and he mentally cursed. Having never seen this ability before, he had no idea what it was, much less how to counter it and break free. Despite having a blade in hand, Toru always preferred the more brutal side of things. The onyx chameleon allowed his sword to vanish and he opted to simply rain his fists upon Espio's body with the sole intent of using his thread power alongside it to rip his former friend's body up and brutalize him as much as possible.

Once Toru felt the damage he had caused was sufficient enough to keep Espio from following him, the onyx chameleon left a parting gift of one final particularly strong blast of Darkness before teleporting away. The influx of energy and pain sent Espio's own Darkness into a short-lived rage. That proved to be more than enough to break him free, but his injuries proved to be far greater than he'd originally appreciated.

He fell to his knees with a bloody cough, his sword fracturing before finally breaking apart into fragments of energy that soon disintegrated. For a time, he was forced to remain where he was, waiting to regenerate enough that he could stand and walk. Once that was accomplished, he angrily got to his feet and stalked away. Toru had done something normally very difficult to do, actually surprised him, and had subsequently gotten away. Couple that with the attacks he'd suffered, and he knew he wasn't well enough emotionally to be around others just yet. As such, he also teleported away as soon as he was well enough to. Distance between himself and others was strictly necessary once again.

~保護者~

Cream hadn't meant to fall asleep in Aniko's home. Yet sometime after they'd reunited and talked, she'd started dozing off. She vaguely recalled being led into the guest room, but nothing more. I must have gone straight to sleep. Pushing the blankets aside, Cream climbed off the futon laid out on the floor and stood up. Lady Aniko seems agitated. They must have finished the fight I was warned about. How did I sleep through such a thing? Shaking those questions out of her mind, she walked out of the room and softly approached the other woman. "Lady Aniko?' she murmured. "Are you alright?"

Aniko sensed Cream's approach and had her eyes closed as she turned to the rabbit. Fuck, how could I let myself forget she was here? "I am fine," she murmured in reply, already moving to stand up.

Although hesitant, Cream sat down across from her. "If I may be so bold… I don't believe that you are," she said.

"You do not have to believe me," Aniko answered. "I am fine."

Deciding it best to steer away from that subject temporarily, Cream asked a new question. "Are you hurt?"

"Not seriously so." Aniko turned her head toward the doorway, shifting her attention outside. She could vaguely sense a familiar presence, but it was too far away to make out currently. "Nothing of concern."

"I am concerned for you regardless," Cream sighed. "But if you insist they are not serious, I will trust your judgement."

That brought Aniko a brief moment of pause, and the word 'trust' made her heart ache for a moment. Fuck. She slipped out of the doorway, but instead of running off, the woman instead took a seat at the edge of the porch. "Come here," she beckoned softly. Cream rose to her feet and dutifully stepped outside to join her. Soon, she was seated as well. The chameleon let out a low sigh, cracking her eyes open and allowing Cream to see the fading golden color that had replaced her amber eyes. "It happened in that fight," Aniko said quietly.

"I am concerned for you regardless," Cream sighed. "But if you insist they are not serious, I will trust your judgement."

That brought Aniko a brief moment of pause, and the word 'trust' made her heart ache for a moment. Fuck. She slipped out of the doorway, but instead of running off, the woman instead took a seat at the edge of the porch. "Come here," she beckoned softly. Cream rose to her feet and dutifully stepped outside to join her. Soon, she was seated as well. The chameleon let out a low sigh, cracking her eyes open and allowing Cream to see the fading golden color that had replaced her amber eyes. "It happened in that fight," Aniko said quietly.

"Why did you become so angry?" Cream asked her. Then she added, "If you do not mind me asking."

"I-" Aniko's head snapped upward and she blinked a few times as another woman came into view, stopping some distance away. "I… give me a moment. I need to speak to someone… but I will tell you both." The chameleon dropped to the ground and found herself pinned to the ground when Seiko tackled her into a sort of hug. For someone weaker than her, this would probably border on bone-crushingly tight. To Aniko, it was a reminder of times long past. "Seiko… you've returned."

"I certainly have, and I came to check on you. It seems that the fight had some… troublesome outcomes," Seiko murmured, pulling them both to their feet easily. "Shall we go inside?"

Aniko didn't answer this, leaping up to the porch with Seiko following right behind her. Once they were both up, the chameleon took the chance to make introductions. "Cream, meet Seiko. Seiko, meet Cream."

Quickly rising to her feet, Cream bowed respectfully. "It is nice to meet you," she greeted warmly. "I have heard of you from Mister Kaden. It is good that you are here now."

Seiko managed a gentle smile, returning the gesture with a bow of her own. "There is no need to bow to me. I am no longer the queen. We are equals. I will show you all the same respect you would to me."

This earned a smile. "I am aware of that, yes, but it is still a matter of respect regardless." Cream straightened up and clasped her hands together in front of her. "You are still more than worthy of that."

"I see," Seiko murmured. "Regardless… I suppose we have another matter at hand. Respect can wait," she said. "Shall we?" Seiko motioned inside the home. Cream inclined her head and walked inside.

Aniko followed them and took a seat, letting out a long, deep breath. By now her eyes had mostly returned to normal and she felt… calm. "As I was originally saying, what has had me so angry is this… feeling that my family is becoming lost to me." It felt weird to say it aloud, especially considering she wasn't speaking to Shei. How long has it been since I have spoken to another outside of the heat of battle?

For once, Cream's trademark smile failed her. A look of renewed concern replaced it. "Has something happened again?"

"Shei was touched by corruption, and a new discovery led us to find that he is a descendant of Malevolence," Aniko began. "Espio has been fighting with the Darkness of all of his heritage, among so many other things, and I have been unable to control my emotions for the barest of moments without outside intervention."

Seiko vaguely raised an eyebrow. "You being unable to control your emotions is not normal. I presume something has happened."

Aniko let out a sigh. "Some sort of magic affected me, and the residual effects have been strong. By loosening my control… the way was made for my emotions to only continue running rampant." Cream looked between them both with ever-increasing worry, but held her tongue for the moment so that Aniko could continue.

Seiko noticed that Aniko fell silent and she spoke up. "Is there more?"

"We don't have a clue as to where Shei has gone," Aniko muttered.

That prompted Cream to speak. "You do not know where he is?" she asked, quietly alarmed. Immediately, she began to stretch her mind out in search of his.

"That is troublesome," Seiko said gently.

Cream glanced up at her, mind still searching. "You are his friend, are you not?" she suddenly asked. "I heard tales in the past. Do you, by chance, know the sort of places he retreats to when he feels the need for isolation?"

The hedgehog had to think on this for a moment. It had been quite a long time now since she had thought of the matter, but it came to her rather quickly. "Off of our planet. If I recall, on the moon of a world within our… general area in space."

Aniko was quick to nod an agreement. "This is true. I… hadn't thought of it." She briefly seemed to berate herself for ignoring such a simple fact, but a simple touch from Seiko helped her return from that thought.

That certainly did explain why Cream couldn't sense him. Her mental reach wasn't that vast. "I see." Cream closed her eyes with a sigh. "I cannot accompany you. However, if the tales of your magic are true… Lady Seiko, you may be our current best hope of bringing him back to himself. Perhaps it will not work, but… I cannot argue against the merits of trying."

Seiko picked Aniko up off the ground immediately and nodded. "So be it, then. I will attempt. Aniko, with me." Aniko was only afforded the opportunity to blink once before they teleported away. The chameleon allowed herself to be essentially dragged around solely because it was Seiko. The two searched the depths of space within their solar system in an attempt to find Shei somewhere within. Soon Seiko picked up on the energies and was quick to take Aniko with her, traveling to where she felt it to be.

There was a moon on Mobius's closest neighboring planet, neither of which was named. In the past, Shei had used this place to meditate, escape dangerous emotions, and so on. It was a sort of refuge for him. Given that, it made sense why he had come here. His energies were a wild mess, lashing out at the rocky surface all around him and eating away at the ground with scarcely any effort. If he was even aware of their arrival within the writhing masses of crimson and black, he gave no sign of it.

Seiko gently placed a hand on Aniko's shoulder before pressing onward, carefully calling on her magic to swell within her and around them both. "Shei?" she asked, hoping to get his attention.

Malevolent energies roared around the three of them, but then suddenly reared back and away from the women as if to avoid touching (and therefore harming) them. It took a long moment before, from somewhere within the darkness, Shei somehow mentally bit out (apparently using thought-speech like Finis and Malevolence itself did), "Leave."

"I will not," Seiko replied. "I am here in hopes that I can possibly help. There is no chance of my departure before I make my attempt." Further energy surged, nearly slamming into them before somehow being restrained - if only barely. Beyond that, no response came. Seiko didn't react to this happening, instead letting her magic flow and using it in an attempt to stabilize Shei and his energies so that they could approach him. Energy flared even more violently around them in response to her magic, writhing and storming all over. Seiko pulled Aniko close to her and pressed onward, searching for Shei.

They reached him eventually. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his head in his hands as he fought with his newfound power in an effort to control it all. It was clear that he had undergone stark changes. The physical ones were the most readily apparent. Some of his body had turned to pure energy, the very same as the energy still swirling around them. His eyes were open, staring vacantly and yet furiously at the ground. They glowed from within with the deepest, most burning red malignancy seen anywhere outside of Malevolence's own gaze. And yet he was still himself enough not to truly attack them. At least… for the time being.

Whether or not this all bothered Seiko, it didn't show on her face. Aniko, on the other hand, was visibly worried and obviously wanted to do something. The hedgehog knelt on the ground and looked to Shei with intent in her eyes. "Shei, I will be attempting to bring some form of calm to your emotions and energies with my magic. I'm telling you in advance to help keep shock from being a factor in potential failure. Do you understand?"

The vacant look in his eyes vanished and his focus snapped straight to her. This caused his energies to rear up around her all over again, though he again managed to prevent them from harming her just yet. "Whatever you attempt is almost guaranteed to fail," he hissed with fury that was very, very far removed from how he normally behaved.

"Failure or success, I will attempt it. Shei, you understand what I am saying. Prepare yourself for it, but know I will not bring harm to you," she murmured. Though he continued to glare at her, amazingly he held his tongue after that point. Seiko nodded in reply, despite him not saying anything, and simply moved to begin an attempt at briefly stabilizing his energies using her magic to remove what was essentially a storm of malevolent energy from rampaging.

This had a slow but definite impact. The energies gradually calmed down and receded to some extent, though they didn't fully fade away. Seiko frowned at this fact, but ultimately left it be as she shifted her focus over to Shei himself, now putting all of her effort into stabilizing him. She persisted for as long as possible with minimal overall impact. He did relax to some extent, but only enough to ease the glow in his eyes just a little. Seiko watched him for a long moment before deciding to speak. "Shei… how do you feel?"

The glare he tossed her way was slightly less venomous than before. At least, probably. "I'm fine."

Seiko frowned, crossing her arms before sighing. "Your partner was concerned for your health and safety. I brought her here for you to speak to."

Shei was silent for a time before standing up. His effort to make his tone less biting and hostile was clear when he spoke, though he didn't truly succeed. "Make it fast. I cannot promise your safety if either of us remains for much longer."

Aniko froze for a few seconds if only because she hadn't fully expected this to go well at all before managing some form of recovery. "Shei… I just… I've been really worried about you. I couldn't help when we were attacked, and now you're having to deal with all of this. I don't want to be alone… and I don't want you to be alone," she murmured softly. "That's… why I'm here."

"It is unsafe for you and I to be near each other at this stage," Shei responded, voice growing quieter. "This is only growing worse. It will consume and kill anything it can, and I will not be able to prevent that eventually."

The face that Aniko wore was nothing like Seiko had ever seen in her friend. She wanted to help, but in this situation she wasn't sure anything she could do would help. Instead, she simply allowed the chameleon to speak her mind. "I… I understand. Just… know that I miss you," she answered. "More than I can comprehend."

"I know." These words were spoken softly, almost like a promise that he hadn't and wouldn't. They were left hovering in the space between them, making the following silence all the heavier when he vanished to places unknown.

Seiko immediately grabbed Aniko when the woman collapsed into a sudden sobbing fit, holding her close as she tried desperately to think of anything that might help. This… required much more tact than she showed in most situations, and this simple fact had her far more carefully considering every choice she could make. Ultimately, she teleported them both back to Mobius near to Aniko's home, but some distance away in the surrounding wilderness. She will be impossible to console if she is seen by Cream. "Aniko… please, try to relax," she murmured gently, keeping her hug tight. "It will be okay."

It won't be… I can't even see him anymore, Aniko thought to herself, only reinforcing the current mindset she was living with. She couldn't bring herself to think it would be okay. It was only a matter of time before someone took Espio from her too, and there was little doubt in her mind that Armaris would somehow be caught up in it all. She'd be left with no family.

When it came down to it, after about a solid minute of this, Seiko realized that this wasn't working. Aniko wasn't relaxing at all. If anything, she was getting worse. So, the woman sought the help of someone who might know who to talk to or what to do. Her mind set on this idea, Seiko stood and picked Aniko up, teleporting as close to Sonic's presence as possible. Wanting to avoid too many people seeing the chameleon in this state (for her own sake), the hedgehog fired off a harmless missile of magic into the door to grab someone's attention.

Not two seconds later, Sonic appeared in front of her. He looked haggard and exhausted, yet deeply relieved in a way that had nothing to do with her. He was also surprised and confused. "Uh, hey. Is… something the matter?" His eyes strayed to Aniko and his brows drew downward, but he didn't dare make any assumptions aloud.

"I… I need something. I cannot get her to calm down," Seiko answered immediately. "I do not know what these times have, but we were aware of herbs that had such effects on people. I dearly require this."

Sonic clued in immediately. "Listen," he said quickly, "my wife is a healer and a doctor. She's not trained in herbal medicines, but rather their modern equivalents. She's had centuries to hone her knowledge and skills. Will you trust her if I have her get something to help?"

Seiko paused briefly, but one look between Sonic and Aniko allowed her to do so. "Yes. I will trust her."

"Okay. Wait just a moment." Sonic vanished. Roughly two minutes passed. Then he reappeared with Amy by his side. "Right here, Ames," he said. "Aniko's heart is racing like crazy."

"I can feel her emotions," Amy murmured, hurrying over. "They aren't… great." She knelt down in front of Aniko and Seiko with a glass of water in one hand and two small pills in the other. "Miss, will you be able to convince her to swallow these? I'm guessing you're her friend, while to her I'm just a stranger. She may listen to you better, and your presence clearly isn't upsetting her any further so far."

"Understood," Seiko murmured before setting Aniko down and basically pressing a finger into the other woman's forehead while her other hand opened Aniko's mouth. Magic put the pills into her mouth and poured the water in, forcing her to swallow suddenly to not be taken by the fluid. "How long before it takes effect?"

"These are strong, though not strong enough to put her at any risk of side-effects," Amy explained. "Worst case scenario, they may take up to ten minutes. When they start working, they'll tone down her emotions and make her sleep. It's probably best to take her where she'll feel the most secure and at ease. Especially since, when she wakes, she may be a little groggy and confused at first." She stood and lightly dusted off her knees. "She shouldn't wake up until morning, though. But if she does wake up early and you think she may need more help, I'll do what I can for her. I promise you that."

Seiko kept pressure on Aniko's forehead, frowning a little. It seemed to be keeping her confused enough that things weren't progressing any further (not that she understood why), but it was something. "Understood."

For just a second, Sonic vanished again. When he reappeared, he had another watch-like device in his hand, the same kind he wore and had used to show Seiko and Satsuno a world map upon first meeting them. He walked over to her. "If you need to get ahold of someone, all you have to do is press this button to turn the screen on, and this one to automatically call me. Most of these are more complicated than that, but I changed this one to make it simpler. Since I know it's probably beyond weird to you." With that lame (in his opinion) explanation given, he held the device out for her to take. "It's called a communicator. Basically, it lets us talk across long distances. Like what telepaths can do, except using technology and not a power."

Seiko took it and held it with vague confusion for a moment. "I see… I will likely not make use of this unless the situation is dire," she answered, frowning. "I do not understand it well."

"I get that. But the option is there if you need it. That's why Tails and I made these. So people could communicate during emergencies." He offered a weak half-smile. "So even if you reserve it for only situations like that, you'd be fulfilling its intended purpose. But, either way, one of us can help give you a better idea about it another time. You know, if you decide you want to." In the middle of him talking, Amy waved farewell and walked back inside.

"I see," Seiko murmured, nodding vaguely in response to Amy before looking back at Sonic. "I will inform you of her well being when she awakens."

"Okay. I'll make sure to communicate with Amy if anything goes wrong again." He sighed before continuing. "Do you need help getting back? Hyale is pretty far from here."

Seiko shook her head. "No. I will be fine."

"Okay. Well… see you sometime later, then." Sonic started to turn away, but paused. "Oh, and… Dad is okay. More or less, anyway. Mom got the corruption out. All of it. He's sleeping somewhere now. Guess he collapsed when it was finished. But… he's better finally. I thought you might want to know."

Her eyes briefly widened at this before she ultimately nodded a little. "I will make a point of seeing him once he has recovered, with Satsuno by my side."

"That would be good." Sonic turned away with certainty this time and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Once she was sure that nobody else had something to say, Seiko teleported herself away with Aniko, mulling over the incredibly awful streak of things that had occurred in the chameleon's life recently.

~保護者~

13,855 words this time. Apologies for the delay, but many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 9:30 p.m.) 06-28-21.